BookOn Activation
BookOn products can be delivered locked or unlocked.
An unlocked product can be used as delivered, without additional payment or activation. Unlocked products are not protected from inappropriate duplication or distribution. The most common type of unlocked product consists of a BookOnCD bound in a textbook, which will be used by students who share computers in a computer lab.
A locked product runs in demonstration mode, limiting access to specified pages until the user completes the purchase and/or activation process. Locked products are most appropriate for products sold to or used by individuals, businesses, and students who use their own laptop or desktop computers rather than sharing lab computers.
As delivered, locked products run in demonstration mode, allowing the potential buyer to see how the product works on his or her own computer. To access the full content of the product, the purchaser must complete a purchase and activation process from within the product. After a successful purchase, the purchaser receives a confirmation e-mail with activation information or a keycode which can be used to activate the product for full use. After successful activation, the full product is made available for use by that purchaser.
When a product is successfully activated, the purchaser information is saved in an encrypted permits file. The activated product will revert to demo mode if the permits file is modified or deleted or if the product is moved to or used on a different computer without the permits file. If the encrypted permits file is moved with the program, the program remains personalized for the original purchaser, discouraging inappropriate distribution.
Activated products displays the name and e-mail address of the original purchaser each time the program is started and in the Help/About screen to discourage inappropriate distribution. Additionally, activated educational products that use student tracking files will only create and use tracking files using the first and last name of the original purchaser. In other words, if Bill Smith attempts to use John Henry’s activated program, he will find that it will only use and create tracking files for the name John Henry. That provides a significant barrier for inappropriate distribution of activated products between students.
Products can be configured to allow a specified number of activations for a particular keycode or purchase. Subsequent activations require the original keycode and purchaser information, specifically the purchaser’s first name, last name, e-mail address, and transaction ID or keycode. The product will not activate if the submitted information does not match the information provided on the confirmation e-mail and used for the original activation.
Products can also be configured to expire—as in stop running—a specified number of days after activation. This option can be thought of as a rental, where the user pays a fee to utilize the product for a limited period of time. After the product expires, it reverts back to demonstration status, requiring an additional payment and reactivation. Expiration is most appropriate for textbooks which can be set to expire 180 days after initial activation. Try a free sample Mac and Windows BookOnDownload configured for keycode activation with a simulated manual purchase and expiration two days after activation.
To try the payment and activation process in a shipping product, try the Ordinary Heroes BookOnDownload for Mac or Windows.
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